Mrs. He's face flashed with surprise, then she smiled disdainfully, "How can you still lie like this? You didn't? The three children all admitted it, and the nanny has seen you two several times, and you still won't admit it?"
"You're talking nonsense!" Chu Yang's mother roared. "I'll tear your mouth off!" With that, she lunged at Madam He. Madam He hurriedly dodged her and reached out to grab her arm, looking quite disheveled.
"Stop!" Fang Yi shouted sharply, coldly looking at them. He hugged Chu Yang tighter, then softened his voice and said to Chu Yang's mother, "Auntie, please sit down. Wait until I've finished asking my questions before you make a move." He then turned to Madam He and asked coldly, "Madam He, were the other two boys from the Song and Zhao families that day?"
Madam He was taken aback and stared at Fang Yi in astonishment, wondering how he knew whose children the other two were.
Fang Yi smiled sarcastically and said, "Madam He, I'm afraid you only know that He Yiqian calls me 'elder brother,' but do you know what I call him?"
Madam He shook her head. All she knew was that her son had a good relationship with Fang Yi, and also with Huang Fei; they all seemed to call him "Big Brother."
“Fifth Brother, I call him Fifth Brother, Huang Fei is Second Brother, and the two from the Song family and the Zhao family are Third and Fourth Brothers,” Fang Yi said coldly. “Unfortunately, I just spoke with Third Brother a few days ago. His version is a little different from yours. He said that they had been drinking and after taking Fifth Brother home, he said he was going upstairs to get something. A while later, they heard a girl screaming upstairs. They rushed up and saw Fifth Brother trying to rape the girl.”
Madam He's expression changed slightly, but she quickly smiled calmly and said, "I'm afraid this is something they conspired with Chu Yang. They're so close, it's easy for them to coordinate their testimonies. If they want to smear Yi Qian, then it's not difficult at all."
"Is that so?" Fang Yi looked at Madam He coldly, a mocking sneer on his face. "Since that's what you think, then please go open the door and see what the person outside has to say."
Mrs. He was startled and finally lost her composure. Her hand on the doorknob trembled uncontrollably. She opened the rough wooden door and saw He Yiqian in the hallway outside.
He Yiqian stood outside the door, leaning against the wall with his head down. When he heard the door open, he looked up at his mother and after a long while, he finally managed to call out "Mom" in a hoarse voice. He said weakly, "Why did you do this? You knew it wasn't like that. You knew it was all my fault."
It felt like something was stuck in my throat; every word I uttered was painful.
Madam He stared at her son silently for a long time, never imagining that her efforts to protect him would result in such serious injury. She sighed deeply, straightened her back, and turned to face Fang Yi, saying, "Yes, I lied. I falsely accused Chu Yang of seducing my son and two other children. I even threatened her that if others found out, she would never be able to face anyone again. I just wanted to protect my son; I didn't want him to be ruined by her. Was that wrong?"
Fang Yi laughed angrily, "Haha, protect your son? So you intimidate a fourteen-year-old? So you let her bear this crime?"
Madam He avoided his gaze, forced a nod, and then turned to Chu Yang's mother, who was already sobbing uncontrollably, and said, "Elder sister, I'm sorry. You can resent me. Yi Qian doesn't know about these things, so please don't blame him."
"For me, for me," He Yiqian smiled bitterly. He had actually resented Chu Yang because he heard his mother say that Chu Yang was going to sue the three of them. He had even resented Chu Yang because she had framed the third and fourth brothers. It turned out that all of this was so ridiculous. His resentment was actually based on his mother's lies.
He Yiqian walked up to Chu Yang and slowly knelt down. Looking at Chu Yang, whose body was trembling slightly, he said slowly, "Chu Yang, Chu Yang, look at me, okay? Look at me."
Chu Yang pulled her hands back forcefully, wrapped her arms tightly around Fang Yi's waist, and buried her head deeper in his chest. It seemed that only in this way could she feel safer. Yes, only his embrace and his body temperature could make her feel safe. Holding him like this, she eventually drifted off to sleep, unaware of when the He family mother and son left.
I slept very soundly and sweetly, and when I woke up again, the sun was already setting.
Fang Yi leaned against the headboard, a smile playing on his lips as he looked down at her, his eyes full of gentle laughter. Chu Yang saw that her hand was still on his waist and felt her face burning. She tried to subtly pull her hand away, but Fang Yi pressed it down as soon as she moved.
"Are you awake?" Fang Yi asked with a slight smile.
Chu Yang's face flushed slightly, and he nodded a little, asking, "Where's my mom?"
"Your aunt went back home after seeing that you were asleep."
Chu Yang was somewhat surprised, staring blankly at Fang Yi. His mother had actually gone back like that? She was so comfortable leaving him with Fang Yi? This wasn't like her at all!
Fang Yi saw through Chu Yang's thoughts, raised his eyebrows and smiled, and said, "Originally, she wanted me to leave too, but when she saw you clinging to me like a koala, and even when you're asleep you need to hold me to feel at ease, so she asked me to stay and take care of you."
Seeing Chu Yang blush and lower her head without saying a word, Fang Yi found it somewhat amusing. He thought to himself that this girl at least had some feminine shyness. He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, teasingly asking, "Are you feeling particularly moved now?"
"Huh?" Chu Yang didn't understand for a moment and asked, "What feeling?"
Fang Yi laughed: "The sense of security of an old man? Look at you sleeping so soundly, like a little pig, you're even snoring."
Snoring? Chu Yang's eyes widened. She could actually snore? She looked at Fang Yi in disbelief, thinking that this guy was probably playing a trick on her.
Fang Yi looked at her and nodded slowly with a sympathetic expression. Indeed, she had been sleeping so soundly that she was snoring.
The two stared at each other, and slowly the atmosphere became a little awkward. It's said that it's best for men and women not to practice eye contact unless they have nothing to do, because it's easy for things to go wrong if they keep doing it. Of course, this doesn't apply to long-married couples.
Just as their faces were only centimeters apart, Fang Yi turned his head to the side, and Chu Yang's eyelashes trembled as she closed her eyes. Suddenly, the phone rang, and Chu Yang woke up with a start. She tried to grab the phone on the bedside table, but Fang Yi grabbed her hand and, ignoring the ringing, forcefully kissed her lips.
The phone kept ringing, just like the person on the other end, persistent but ultimately unable to match Fang Yi's determination, and had to give up in the end...
Zhang Jingzhi stared at her phone angrily, muttering under her breath, "You brat, what are you busy with? You didn't even answer the phone!"
Zhang Jingzhi
Zhang Jingzhi stared at her phone angrily, muttering under her breath, "You brat, what are you busy with? You didn't even answer the phone!"
She called Chu Yang not because she felt sorry for her cousin who was having a falling out with her family over marital problems, but because she was bored and alone that day. Wang Yuhan had a business dinner that evening, and it was the kind of business dinner that required him to attend, so it was obviously inappropriate to bring her along. Xiao Xiao was having a great time with Jiang Sicheng, and there was no place for Zhang Jingzhi to go. She had finally thought of treating her cousin to a meal, but the cousin wasn't answering her phone.
"Sigh—" Zhang Jingzhi sighed deeply. When things aren't going well, you can't even find anyone to invite you to dinner! She had planned to just stay home, but every time she went in and out, she saw her mother's ambiguous smiling face. Whenever she had a spare moment, she would try to discuss Wang Yuhan's situation with her. Wasn't that frustrating? You know, this old lady, it's fine to tug at your daughter's braids a little, but don't hold on so tightly. No matter how much hair she has, it can't withstand being pulled like that, can it?
By evening, Zhang Jingzhi couldn't take it anymore. She simply stuffed her phone and wallet into her pocket, slipped on a pair of canvas shoes, and left home. Coincidentally, just as she stepped downstairs, her phone rang. The caller ID showed Yang Lei calling. She hesitated, clutching the phone for a long time, unsure whether to answer. Since that day by the river when she had angrily berated Yang Lei and his ex-girlfriend, they hadn't been in contact. What did he mean by calling now?
The phone rang for a while and then stopped. Zhang Jingzhi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although she had figured out that her feelings for Yang Lei before were just infatuation, she still couldn't face him naturally. If she could, Zhang Jingzhi wished that Yang Lei never existed, so she wouldn't have to think about her past infatuated behavior. And thinking about those behaviors now made her feel embarrassed.
Shopping alone was really boring, so after wandering around for a while, Zhang Jingzhi couldn't help but call Wang Yuhan. As soon as the call connected, Wang Yuhan's slightly deep voice came through, "Missing me?" he asked with a smile.
Wang Yuhan seemed to enjoy playing this trick. Whenever Zhang Jingzhi called him, it seemed like the first thing he would say was always the same question. And if he called Zhang Jingzhi, he would add two more words, making the first question "Have you missed me?" This question made Zhang Jingzhi very upset. Even though she knew he couldn't see her, she still couldn't help but blush. Such words were too intimate, and the tone of the person saying them was too frivolous. It sounded like the behavior of a playboy.
"I didn't think about it!" Zhang Jingzhi replied, then mimicked Wang Yuhan's tone, saying, "If you didn't think about it, why would you call me?"
"Why would you call me if you didn't expect me?" Wang Yuhan said the same thing as Zhang Jingzhi, his voice coinciding with Zhang Jingzhi's. He chuckled twice and lowered his voice to ask, "Where are you? You don't sound like you're at home, Zhang Jingzhi! What are you doing out here so late at night? I'll spank you if you don't!"
"Tch!" Zhang Jingzhi scoffed.
"Hey! Don't pout, I'm a lady!" Wang Yuhan chuckled softly.
Zhang Jingzhi's mouth was pursed halfway, unsure whether to close it or not.
Soft music and faint voices came from Wang Yuhan's end, sounding like a dinner party. Zhang Jingzhi looked at the twinkling lights around her and the couples on the street, feeling a little wronged, but she spoke generously: "I'm fine, I just made a casual call. You go ahead and do your thing, I'll just take a walk."
Wang Yuhan, being the kind of person he was, could easily understand the meaning behind her words. Hearing her resentful tone, he simply chuckled and said, "Why don't you take a taxi to Jinbi? After we're done here, I'll take you to a bar, okay?"
Zhang Jingzhi was actually very tempted, but she was unwilling to agree so readily. She wanted to show her understanding nature, so she chuckled awkwardly and hesitated, "Is this a good idea? Won't it affect your plans?"
Wang Yuhan paused, clicked his tongue, and then said seriously, "It's not a good idea. Why don't you go home first, okay?"
Before Zhang Jing could even vent her anger, she heard Wang Yuhan laugh and say, "Stop joking, come on over! Call me when you get there, and I'll come down to meet you."
Zhang Jingzhi climbed out of the taxi, looked up at the luxuriously decorated Jinbi, and before she could even call Wang Yuhan, her phone rang again. It was Yang Lei's number again. This time, Zhang Jingzhi gripped the phone so tightly it was almost sweaty before pressing the answer button. As soon as she heard Yang Lei say "Hello," Zhang Jingzhi quickly said, "Ah, Yang Lei, I'm sorry, I didn't hear the phone ring. Is there something wrong?"
Zhang Jingzhi regretted her words immediately afterward. Hadn't she just made herself look like she was protesting too much? Besides, why had she spoken to him so politely? He was the one in the wrong, not her!
Yang Lei asked, "Can we meet? I've been thinking a lot these past few days and want to talk to you about it."
Want to talk to her? Zhang Jingzhi couldn't help but purse her lips at the phone, thinking to herself that people are just perverts. When she was still his girlfriend, he almost never called her first. Now that they've broken up, he wants to talk to her.
Zhang Jingzhi smiled sheepishly and said apologetically, "Oh dear, what a coincidence. I'm with a friend right now, so it's probably not convenient. How about another day?"
"Let's do it another day. Who knows when we'll be able to change it?" Zhang Jingzhi thought to herself.
Yang Lei was silent for a moment, then said, "How about we meet?"
Zhang Jingzhi frowned, suppressing her temper as she tried to control herself. She felt it wasn't worth getting angry at such a fussy man. She patiently said, "Yang Lei, although you've never seemed to treat me as your girlfriend, I was at least nominally your girlfriend. I already have a boyfriend now, and I don't want to be like some people who are still entangled with their ex-boyfriends."
There was silence on Yang Lei's end, a silence that made Zhang Jingzhi feel very oppressed. Just as she was about to hang up, Yang Lei suddenly asked, "Is that Wang Yuhan?"
"Huh?" Zhang Jingzhi was taken aback by his question, and it took her a moment to realize that he meant to ask if her new boyfriend was Wang Yuhan.
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Jingzhi decided to admit it openly, so she nodded and said, "That's right, it's him."
"Jingzhi, you—" Yang Lei hesitated on the other end, falling silent once again. Zhang Jingzhi couldn't hold back any longer this time, and angrily said while holding the phone, "If you have something to say, just say it. If you don't, just say it. Why are you dawdling like that?"
...
As Wang Yuhan emerged from the Jinbi Hall, he immediately spotted Zhang Jingzhi standing by the door, lost in thought and clutching her phone. He walked over, suddenly grabbed her shoulder from behind, and whispered "Hi!" in her ear.
Zhang Jingzhi was startled and turned around to stare blankly at Wang Yuhan.
Wang Yuhan pretended to look into the distance and teased, "Which handsome guy did you see again? Did he steal your soul? You didn't even call me when you got there!" He turned his gaze back to Zhang Jingzhi, looked her up and down, and clicked his tongue, saying, "Look at you, dressed like this, hey! Still wearing cloth shoes, how am I supposed to lead you inside?"
Although he said this, he took Zhang Jingzhi's hand and led her inside. After taking only a few steps, sensing Zhang Jingzhi's hesitation behind him, Wang Yuhan turned around to look at her, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhang Jingzhi looked at him silently without saying a word, her other hand gripping her phone tightly, tighter and tighter.
Wang Yuhan noticed her unusual behavior with a quick glance, his brows furrowing slightly. He turned and led Zhang Jingzhi to a quiet corner, stopping to ask her, "Who were you calling just now? What happened?"
Zhang Jingzhi then reacted, calmly pulling her hand out of Wang Yuhan's palm and putting it back in her pocket. She looked up at him and said softly, "I was just on the phone with Yang Lei."
Upon hearing Yang Lei's name, Wang Yuhan paused, staring blankly at his empty hand. He then turned his head away and sneered. When he turned back, a mocking smile played on his lips. He said, "What? Has he regretted it? Wants to turn back?"
Zhang Jingzhi pursed her lips and just stared at him.
Wang Yuhan chuckled, "It should be a happy thing, why are you still grimacing?" He lowered his head, slowly approaching Zhang Jingzhi's face, and chuckled, "Stop pretending, you must be overjoyed, right? Look at me, that's what happiness looks like, the corners of your mouth should be turned up like mine."
Wang Yuhan's voice grew softer and softer, and he drew closer and closer to Zhang Jingzhi's face. Just as his lips were about to touch Zhang Jingzhi's, he suddenly looked up and mocked her, "A woman like you is so hypocritical! Alright, stop playing the victim here. Since he's opened his arms to you again, you should go for it! He's such a handsome guy, don't you drool over him?"
After saying that, he turned around and muttered as he walked away, "Let's go, let's go. It's really embarrassing to take a woman like you out in public!"
"He called you, didn't he?" Zhang Jingzhi suddenly asked.
Wang Yuhan stiffened, then turned around and looked at her with a half-smile.
Zhang Jingzhi met his gaze and asked, "He called you on the night you lied to me about your birthday, didn't he?"
Wang Yuhan's smile vanished. He stared silently at Zhang Jingzhi. That night, he had seen Yang Lei plant a light kiss on her lips from his car. Jealousy had driven him mad, so he had taken advantage of her soft heart to trick her into giving him a kiss, allowing himself to erase all traces of Yang Lei's kiss from her lips, leaving only his own. Watching her lift her skirt and slam her foot on his car door, he buried his face in the steering wheel and smiled bitterly. Actually, he hadn't completely lied to her; it really was his birthday. But everyone has pride, and after she had said those things, what could he say? His phone kept vibrating in his pocket. He answered it, only to find it was Yang Lei calling…
Zhang Jingzhi
Wang Yuhan remained silent. Whether she admitted it or not didn't matter. What mattered was that Yang Lei's single phone call had erased everything he had done before. Deep down, she preferred to believe Yang Lei's words but couldn't see the sacrifices he had made for her. He smiled and nodded: "That's right, he did call me."
Zhang Jingzhi clenched her fists in her pockets and stared straight into Wang Yuhan's eyes as she asked, "What did he say to you?"
Wang Yuhan chuckled lightly, raising an eyebrow. "Want to hear another man confess his feelings to you from me? Okay, I'll grant your wish. He said he thinks you're a great girl, so he wants to give himself a chance to experience a new relationship." Wang Yuhan shook his head with a light laugh. "Tsk, tsk, what a pity. It seems he gave up on this opportunity after all. I told you he's a slowpoke, especially when it comes to relationships. He's always slow to realize things, only regretting it after it's too late. So, is he going back to you? You can rest assured this time. He won't change his mind. Go find somewhere to secretly rejoice."
Ignoring Wang Yuhan's sarcasm, Zhang Jingzhi asked in a deep voice, "What else did he ask you?"
The smile on Wang Yuhan's face slowly faded. He looked at Zhang Jingzhi for a long time, then turned and left.
Zhang Jingzhi grabbed his sleeve from behind and asked coldly, "Tell me, what else did he ask?"
Wang Yuhan scoffed, "You really want to hear that? Fine, I'll tell you. He even asked me if I really liked you. If I did, he wouldn't have started anything, okay? Zhang Jingzhi!"
Zhang Jingzhi had never felt such pain in her heart before, as if it had been twisted into a knot. Looking at Wang Yuhan's indifferent face, her only hope gradually faded away. She wished that Yang Lei was a despicable person who deliberately told those lies to drive a wedge between her and Wang Yuhan. But what was the truth?
Yang Lei said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask him. He's a proud person and he probably won't lie."
So when she asked, he was indeed proud, so proud that he didn't bother to tell her a lie.
She couldn't get angry, that would be so unladylike; she couldn't cry either, that would be so pathetic. Xiao Xiao had said that the only thing a woman can leave herself with in the end is dignity, which no one can take away. Therefore, she had to maintain this last bit of dignity.
"What did you say in response?" Zhang Jingzhi asked.
Wang Yuhan looked at her, his gaze moving inch by inch across her face, finally settling on her eyes. He recalled the look in her eyes that night, looking at him with such indifference, while those same eyes had once looked at another man with such shyness and expectation.